SkillSelect: First round offers go to skilled professionals

Doctors, dentists, nurses and engineers have dominated the first round of skilled migrants invited to formally apply for visas under the government’s new online SkillSelect service. 

Accountants, ICT analysts and programmers were also strongly represented in the 100 invitations in the first round, which drew the highest scoring candidates from the initial expressions of interest (EOI).

“This is an excellent result for the economy, employers, and ultimately for Australia,” a spokesman from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said today. 

“SkillSelect helps to ensure the skilled migration program is based on the economic needs of Australia. It supports the government in managing who can apply for skilled migration, when they can apply and in what numbers.”

More than 10 000 skilled people have completed EOIs throughwww.skillselect.gov.au since it went live on July 1.

Earlier this month, the first automated invitation round for skilled independent (90 visas) and skilled regional family-sponsored (10 visas) was completed. 

The lowest points score invited was 75 points in both the skilled independent and skilled family sponsored visas.  This is significantly above the 60 point pass mark, and demonstrates the quality of the skilled people interested in migrating to Australia, and the benefits of selecting only the best.

“The points score varied from 75 up to 85 across the two visa subclasses,” the spokesman said.

“Additionally, almost 400 skilled people have been invited since July 1 following nominations lodged by state and territory governments.

“More than 160 of these invited clients have already lodged their visa applications, and the others have 60 days to lodge their documentation using DIAC’s electronic lodgement system,” he added.

Full details of the first round of SkillSelect visa invitations are available atwww.skillselect.gov.au.

For more information on the first round offers and statistics on SkillSelect go to www.immi.gov.au/skills/skillselect/index/report-2012-08/

Media Enquiries:  02 6264 2244 / www.newsroom.immi.gov.au
For video on SkillSelect go to 
http://tiny.cc/IMMI_sls
For SkillSelect logo graphic
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diacimages/7847381856/in/photostream
For photos of the recent Houston Skills Fair 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diacimages/page6/